The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-19
SERVICES AT THE CHURCHES
An Interesting Discourse by DR.. Mcleod
on a Common Scriptural Subject.
Rev. ". J. Vigus's Sermons at Central-Ave-
nue. Church Yesterday-Rev. McConnells
Farewell to Roberts Park Congregation.

The sermon of Rev. James Mcleod, D. D. at
the Second Presbyterian Church yesterday
morning was of usual interest Our Daily
Bread" was his theme and his text was, "Giye
ms this day daily bread" Matthew vi, IL
There two words In this text which, for
! long time, DR.. Mcleod said. have been a puz-
Elo to the critics and the commentators It is a
remarkable fact that the word translated
daily" occurs nowhere else, either in the Bible
Or in any CLASSIC writing. The revisers,
while retaining the old word daily"
n the text have put in the margin
"our bread for the coming day." This is suf-
iciently clear and definite. whatever the
ritics may say" continued DR.. Mcleod "the
common people are rot likely to fall into any
ferrous error regarding it. Bread necessary for
he day, the bread for subsistence. that which is
Necessary to support life, and enable us to dis
charge LIES duties-this is included in daily
bread The critics have differed. too, about the
meaning. in this connection, of the word bread
Some would have believe that it refers ex-
lusively TO that spiritual food which nourishes
The soul Thus Abelard taught Heloise to
gard these needs of the Lords prayer, as re-
ierring to super ubstantia' or 'trauscenden-
Nal bread. For this he was severely censured
by ST. Bernard who accused him OF n willful
perversion of Scripture But Abelard was only
following the teaching of Jerome. The fact is
that some Of the fathers and some of the critics
we're so full of Imagination, and so fond of the
mystical and spiritual that they did not hesitate
to give mystical and spiritual Interpretation to
some passages of Scripture whose meant ng is
obviously literal. So il has been that in the
Lords prayer, which appears to simple they
regarded az most complex, and that which ap
pears to us very plain they regarded most
mysterious, In considering this petition, there
fore, let us try to avoid all such errors and mis-
takes. By bread let understand all that is
needfu for the support and comfort of human
hfe, and by daily bread let understand
bread sufficient to supply the wants of each
lay.
IF he be in Alright frame Of mind, the richest
man on earth will offer, with much reason
and with as much sincerity as the poorest, this
petition, and from his heart he will say, Our
Father which art In Heaven give this
lay our daily bread. If would only realize
ihis truth as they should and act accordingly.
what a blessing it would be. It would promote
brotherhood. 1t would keep the poor from envy
Ing the rich and the rich from grinding the
faces Of the poor. 1t would revolutionize
society. IL would, of course be as true then as
it is now that the wants and needs Of men would
vary in proportion their character and cir
cumstances might differ What would be enough
for one would be too little for another. AS the
shrewd Ezekiel Hopkins once said: 'Cedars re-
ruire more sap than shrubs The who
cupies an exalted station and who is engaged in
carrying on great enterprises. and employing a
great number OF men, would mean far more
when he offered this petition than would his serv
ant who drove his carriage. or his gardener
who cared for his flowers The daily
bread for which the great manufacturer
and employer would ask, would mean
enough to enable him to conduct honestly and
successfully his daily business; for surely 1t
would be a very narrow interpretation OF this
prayer to limit its meaning to the m orsel of food
which one needs in order to sustain his own
daily life. Indeed. the language of the petition
is opposed to any such narrow Interpretation.
Give us this day our daily bread Hence the
Christian employer will think of other lives be-
side his own, and he will realize that for daily
bread others are to some extent dependent upon
him, and thus his prayer will include their
wants as well as his own individual wants.
But while the daily need of may be
far greater than that of another, YET if one has
food and rament, that ought TO remove all dis |
content. so the Master taught The servant
with very little may be quite az happy as his
master with very much. The EN- ploye may be |
quite as happy as his employer. The mechanic
or the day laborer may be quite happy the
rich merchant or as the owner of a large estate.
Why notl have nv daily bread, and along
with 1t have Gods blessing. Why should not
be happyl
'This only grant me, that my means may lie
Too low for envy. for contempt too high
"Why should /. though poor, envy the rich7 |
or why should the rich look down with con-
tempt upon the poor7 Surely. Lazarus in his
rags was a happier man than Dives in his robes. |
A coptented soul makes sunny countenance, |
and having food and raiment. let Herewith |
be content Many a rich man has been very I'M |
happy. 1t In said in the. Bible how
hardly shall they that poor enter the king |
dom Of Heaven But the Bible does SO speak of
"'Givs us this day our daily bread No man
who offers this prayer sincerely, and then lives
rs he prays, can be either dishonest or covetous
When we ask God for bread, do not want
Him to deprive anyone else of bread Wa do
not ask him TO rob another in order TO enrich as.
But IL is greatly to De feared and as greatly to
be deplored that this fact sometimes either
forgotten or ignored. 1t is to be feared that
some who offer this prayer in private around
the family altar. or in the house of God, forget
all about it when they enter some of our boards
of trade or the produce exchange. Once there,
they do not think much about the way by which
they may honestly earn their daily bread. What
they want is to get. If possible, something for
nothing. For that purpose they gamble
and speculate in corn, or wheat,
or something else. If they happen
to win they get from somebody something |
for nothing If. on the other hand, they happen
to lose. somebody gets from them something for
nothing. In either case they have done wrong.
They have not dealt honestly with God. or with
themselves, or with Their fellow-men. They have
gotten. IL they have won their bet, their
daily bread. But howl They have not given
body else just so much the poorer. They have,
IL may be. taken from their neiehbor his earthly
all, and have thus done all in their power to de-
prive him, and his wife. and his children of their
tally bread. Now, this petition of the Lords
prayer is opposed TO all such conduct. When
We ask God to give us our daily bread we have
no right to engage in any business which He
ioes approve Every honest. upright man
IS bound to deal. and he will deal honestly and
nDrightly with his neighbor. He will not take
from another that which does not rightsully and
rtghtsously belong TO him. "A workman, be he
high or low. lives bread not bis own when he
takes a fair days wages without doing fair
days work. A master takes bread not his own
when he takes fair days work without giving for
t fair days wages There 10 q connection be-
tween this petition and the one that precedes it.
whlch ought not to be overlooked If we would
DO Gods will on the earth. must live, and if
we would live we must eat. and il we would eat |
We must have bread, and if we would have
bread We ought to ask God for it and get it hon
estly. those who mean to get it some other
way ought, at least to stop Offering this prayer.
lille this petition has reference primarily,
10 the bread that perisheth, yet We will do well
70 remember that our souls, too, need daily